MN Fish Letter

Commissioner Sarah Strommen
Minnesota Department of Natural Resources
500 Lafayette Road
St. Paul, MN 55155

Dear Commissioner Strommen:

We write to share our comments on the recent announcement by the Department of Natural Resources on the 2024 regulations for Mille Lacs Lake.

MN-FISH Sportfishing Coalition is a 501c4 organization formed in 2018 to represent the fishing interests of anglers, clubs, local organizations, and industry stakeholders. The National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA) is the trade association for the U.S. recreational boating industry, representing recreational boat, marine engine, and accessory manufacturers.

The recent announcement regarding Mille Lacs Lake has raised many concerns within the fishing and angling community.

While MN-FISH and NMMA understand that co-management of Mille Lacs Lake creates levels of complexity for the agency, we also are sensitive to the passion that anglers have for fishing this lake and the businesses that serve them.

Minnesota anglers are well conditioned by the historical variability and highly restricted harvest levels that have been placed on Mille Lacs over the years, yet this decision and explanation of the data shared by the DNR does not seem to correlate with their experience.

We are hearing several concerns from anglers and other constituent businesses that depend on Mille Lacs Lake:

First, we just witnessed an almost non-existent ice-fishing season that resulted in extremely low angling pressure and presumably lower harvest. Please reconcile the poor ice season with these even more restrictive, catch-and-release open-water regulations.

Second, our members and guides on the lake repeatedly have suggested that the agency’s test-netting during increasingly warm-water autumns is missing a solid percentage of the lake’s walleyes that remain suspended in deeper water late into the year. Anecdotal data from the increasing use of forward-facing sonar supports these observations.

While MN-FISH and NMMA share the goal of a healthy and long-term sustainable fishery on Mille Lacs Lake with the Minnesota DNR, we cannot forget Minnesota anglers’ right to access their public waters for the opportunity to harvest their fish.

It is for these reasons we respectfully ask the Minnesota DNR to re-examine the fisheries data and methodology used by the DNR when making the 2024 harvest decisions for Mille Lacs and share the findings with a more comprehensive report for state anglers before the Minnesota fishing opener on May 11th, 2024.

Sincerely,

Dave Osborne, President
MN-FISH Sportfishing Coalition

Jesse McArdell, Midwest Policy and Engagement Manager
National Marine Manufacturers Association

It would be nice if they would adjust the net sampling in the fall. We are seeing more and more consistent warm weather patterns much later into the year. Middle of October would give a much more realistic outlook in my opinion. Speaking as an angler who fishes heavily in the fall, water temps arent getting anywhere close to driving fish shallow anymore in September.

I don’t think it really matters Mike. The DNR’s hands are tied by the tribes. I am not convinced that we will see a return to normal harvest on Mille lacs regardless of what their netting surveys yield. It has become blatantly obvious the DNR just twists the data to justify their very restrictive harvest which is their only option because of the tribe. The lake is very healthy and could use some harvest to keep another cannibal situation from happening again. The dnr’s justification for the 2024 regs was clearly just blowing smoke up our azz. It’s so obvious to those of us that fish the lake a lot.

They should just make it catch and release only and be honest with us about it and say until the tribes are willing to come to a reasonable negotiation on harvest they really don’t have any say so they are just switching it to catch and release until further notice. Tell everyone they are going to stop all the netting sampling, creel surveys, third party surveys, meetings with tribes etc that are costing the state hundreds of thousands of dollars funded by the tax payor and license purchaser every year. It’s just not worth it when regardless of the data the tribe sets up harvest quotas to be so restrictive we are left with either catch and release or a very tight slot with one fish for a portion of the year.

Until that happens nothing will change. And maybe it won’t even if they get the stones to be honest with us but at least we won’t be wasting fishery resources on it anymore. I would bet the dnr invests more in Mille lacs than any other body of water and it is probably by a long shot. Where have all those resources got us? Pretty much same same for the last decade at least.

I doubt this will ever happen because this liberal state is running the dnr and the dnr has become highly politicized. And the tribes control the liberals.

1) Transparency will NEVER be a thing concerning Mille Lacs.

2) The Mille Lacs Walleye advisory committee or whatever it’s called is a DNR hoax designed to make folks think ANYBODY has input into policy.

Heres what they need to do. Announce that Mille Lacs is catch & release only. Also due to funding shortfalls there will be no DNR officers patrolling the lake until 2030.